Tooth brush retainer



May 9, l939. B. osHMAN ET A1.

TOOTH BRUSH RETAINER Original Filed July 24, 1936 I l l I I I l r l l l 2@ INVENTOR.

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Patented May 9, 1939 UNITED STATES TOOTH BRUSH RETAINER Benjamin Oshman and Joseph Oshman, New York, N. Y.

Application July 24, 1936', Serial No. 92,364

' Renewed October 10, 1938 Y 3 Claims.

f This invention relates to a tooth brush retainer, and its objects are to retain the brush eficiently in convenient location, to maintain it clean, dustproof, sanitary, and out of contact with other articles, and to provide improved means for its rapid, ready, and convenient withdrawal from the container and reinsertion thereinto.

Other objects and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 shows a plan View of the tooth brush and container therefor of this invention.

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the tooth brush container shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the tooth brush retainer shown in Fig. 1, as it appears during the insertion and withdrawal of the tooth brush.

Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the tooth brush retainer shown in Fig. 1.

Figs. 5 and 6 show respectively a longitudinal cross-sectional plan view and an elevation of a modication of the invention.

Figs. 7 and 8 are respectively a plan view and an elevation of another modication of the invention.

The tooth brush retainer I, Figs. 1-4, cornprises an elongated receptacle 2 consisting of two tray-like half members 3, 4, held to each other by a hinge 5, whereby said members may be disposed to a closed state, as shown in Fig. 1, or they may be swung about said hinge to an open position, as illustrated in Fig. 3. A leaf spring 6 secured to the members 3, 4 at 'I and having a pair of wings 8 presses with said wings against the sides of said members to normally maintain them in the closed state shown in Fig. 1. Each of the members 3, 4 is provided at the end opposite to the hinge 5 with an opposed cam 9 having inclined surfaces I0, II, and the tooth brush I2 to be used with this retainer is provided with a portion I3 at the junction of its handle I4 and brush head I5, the sides of which portion are conflgurated similarly to the cams 9.

When the tooth brush I2 is to be inserted into the receptacle 2 for retention, the leading end I6 of brush head I5 strikes the cam surfaces Ill and thereby actuates the members 3, 4 to swing open as illustrated in Fig. 3 and permits the brush to enter completely into the retainer, whereupon the springs 8 close the receptacle, with the cams 9 in registry with the brush portion I3. When the tooth brush I2 is to be removed from the retainer, the inclined sides I'I of portion I3 bear against the cam surfaces II, and thereby similarly open the receptacle members 3, 4, as

(Cl. 20S-15.1)

shown in Fig. 3, to permit the ready and convenient Withdrawal of the tooth brush.

According to the modications shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the receptacle 2a. comprising the retainer is of one piece, having a closed end I8 and an 5 open opposite end provided with flexible door shutters I9. The brush handle I4 has its portion I3 congurated similarly to that shown in Fig. 1, and to the side-walls 2li of receptacle 2a are secured o-pposed leaf springs 2| that normally register with the sides of brush portion I3. When the tooth brush is inserted into the receptacle 2a for retention, its bristles 22 open the shutters I9 to permit ingres and its end I6 spreads apart the springs 2I until the brush enters completely into 15 the retainer, whereupon the springs 2| realign themselves to their normal form in registry with the tooth brush portion I3 to lock it in retained place and the shutters I9 spring back to closed position, as shown. Upon removal of the tooth brush, the opposite action occurs with respect to the springs 2| and shutters I9, to permit the ready and convenient withdrawal of the tooth brush.

In the modifications shown in Figs. 7 and 8, the receptacle 2b of the retainer is similar to that shown in Fig. 5, and to its open end 23 are hinged at 24 cooperating cams 25 that are similar to the cams 9, of Fig. 1, and have integral therewith floorings 26 meeting each other at 2l. Leaf springs 28 secured at 29 to the receptacle walls normally bear against the cams 25 and press the floorings 26 against each other at 2l' under tension. From the foregoing descriptions it will be evident that inserting the tooth brush I2 into the receptacle 2b for retention will spread the cams 25 apart to permit its ingress, and the springs 28 will restore said cams to locked engagement with the brush portion I3, the shutters I9 closing up the receptacle 2b. Upon withdrawal of the tooth brush from the container, the opposite action occurs in the manner illustrated and described in connection with the retainers shown in Figs. 1 and 5.

Variations may be resorted to Within the scope of the invention, and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

l. A tooth brush retainer having the combination of a receptacle adapted to receive the brush head when it is moved thereinto longitudinally, said receptacle consisting of two elongated severable parts, a hinge securing the ends of said parts whereby they are swingable transversely of each other about said hinge toward and away from each other, a spring normally drawing said parts to each other, said parts having cammed portions at their opposite ends adapted to be actuated by the end of the brush to spread said parts apart to permit insertion of the brush-head thereinto, and said brush spreading said parts apart during its removal from the receptacle.

2. A tooth brush retainer having the combination of a receptacle adapted to receive the brush head when it is moved thereinto longitudinally, said receptacle consisting of two elongated severable parts, a hinge securing the ends of said parts whereby they are swngable transversely of each other about said hinge toward and away from each other, means normally drawing said parts to each other, said parts having means at their opposite ends adapted to be actuated by the end of the brush to spread said parts apart to permit insertion of the brush-head thereinto, and said brush spreading said parts apart during its removal from the receptacle.

3. A tooth brush and retainer therefor having the combination of a receptacle adapted to receive the brush head when it is moved thereinto longitudinally, said receptacle consisting of two elongated severable parts, a hinge securing the ends of said parts whereby they are swingable transversely of each other about said hinge toward and away from each other, a spring normally drawing said parts to each other, said parts having cammed portions at their opposite ends adapted to be actuated by the end of the brush to spread said parts apart to permit insertion of the brush-head thereinto, and said brush being congurated to conform to said cammed portions when contained within said receptacle and to spread said parts apart during its removal from the receptacle.

BENJAMIN OSHMAN. JOSEPH OSHMAN. 

